I use an RSS reader to keep track of my varying interests. I am able to collect information in one place that is automatically updated without having to scour the web every day. I subscribe to various news feeds, Longhorn, Cowboy, Laker, and Dodger feeds as well as many others. A few of the feeds deal with writing and creativity. One of them suggested to answer this list of questions on a somewhat regular basis (monthly, yearly, whatever) to see how your opinions and tastes evolve. I am not sure that I will regularly answer the questions, but here are my answers for today.
1. What is your favorite book?
The Bible. My faith is very important to me. Other than the Bible, my favorite book is Without Remorse by Tom Clancy. A great story of revenge.
2. What is your favorite song?
All time favorite song would be the extra sappy "I love the way you love me" by John Michael Montgomery. Strange, I know. But, the song has a lot of meaning for me in regards to my love for Jen.
3. What is your favorite color?
Burnt Orange, no question.
4. What is your favorite destination?
New York City or Walt Disney World, depending on if the kids are tagging along. The City is such an amazing place to visit. From the train ride into Grand Central Terminal to the Broadway shows to the restaurants to the crazy cab drivers to the museums and the park, what a cool place. Disney World is just non-stop fun. Watching the kids have a blast and not being able to stop smiling is a treat.
5. What is your favorite memory?
Hard to pick just one. For today, my first date with Jennifer. Dinner at Olive Garden and then a movie, The Vanishing, at Point Nasa 6. Then we went out to Sylvan Beach and talked, and I knew that night that she was going to be my wife.
6. What is your favorite TV show?
A few months ago I might have said Jon and Kate + 8, but since it is now Jon minus Kate + 8 or No Jon, just Kate + 8, not so much. Other favorites, The Sopranos, Entourage, The Shield, Grey's Anatomy, and 24 are all great. But today, I would say Army Wives. I know, I will turn in my man card later today.
7. What is your favorite movie?
Heat. Pacino and De Niro. Great movie that may have inspired the bank robbers involved in the North Hollywood Shootout.
8. What is your favorite food?
Green Chili Relleno Little Debbie snack cakes are a close second, but I have to stay away from those.
9. What is your favorite desert?
Oreos. But only a certain way. First, pour a cup of milk. Then put that cup into the freezer for 30-45 minutes. Then place two Oreos at a time into the milk. Let the Oreos absorb some of the very cold milk and then eat with a spoon. Repeat as necessary.
10. What is your favorite treat?
Peanut butter M&Ms
11. What is your favorite car?
My Camry Hybrid of course. Not really, even though I do like the car. Today's choice would be a burnt orange Corvette Z06 coupe.
12. What is your favorite piece of clothing?
Any shirt that shows off the guns. Kidding again. One of my UT national title football shirts.
13. What is your favorite fashion accessory?
Not entirely sure what this question is asking for, do they mean something like my orange special occasion thong underwear? Sorry for the visual. In reality it would be my Alessi leather holster that keeps the heat concealed.
14. What is your favorite perfume?
I am beginning to wonder if these questions were meant for women? Just had a light bulb turning on moment, maybe the question refers to what I like to smell on Jen? Michael Kors.
15. What is your favorite leisure activity?
In an effort to re-claim my man card, I would say hunting. But I would be lying. Playing Halo 3 with Mike is today's choice.
16. Who is your favorite author?
Tom Clancy. Great writer. The Jack Ryan series was outstanding.
17. Who is your favorite actor/actress?
Actor - Denzel Washington, or maybe Edward Norton
Actress - Julia Roberts
18. Who is your favorite singer?
Since Mariah Carey in an unacceptable answer, I will go with Eddie Kowalczyk, the front man for LIVE.
19. Who is your role model?
The Black Mamba. Especially since he won the Finals MVP and earned a ring without Shaq. Actually, Christ is my role model. Might as well strive for perfection.
20. Where is your favorite place to be?
Anywhere with Jen.
Well, that was fun. If the mood strikes you, answer the questions for yourself and post the answers in the comments.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Sex & Sunday School
Jen and I have have been very involved in our Sunday school class for many years. We served as directors for 8 years. Our department started as the young married couples with no kids, and is now the not so young with quite a few kids. Last year we stepped down as directors of the department. After stepping down, we were informed that that some allegations had been made against me by a class member. An unnamed woman had come forward to the new director of the class and claimed that I had sexually harassed her. According to the unnamed woman, I had touched her arm inappropriately and complimented her by telling her that she looked nice.
Needless to say, I was shocked by the accusation. I have no doubt that I have told a few of the women in our class that they looked nice on a particular day and I might have even touched their arm. So, guilty as charged. But, I was shocked by the accusation of sexual harassment based on that behavior. Sexual harassment takes many forms and means different things to different people. Meaning a behavior might be taken as sexual harassment by one person and not another. So, bottom line, I had made the unnamed woman uncomfortable by my behavior. I was sorry and wanted to apologize.
So far, I have been unable to do that. I do not know who to apologize to. The unnamed woman has not made herself known to me. So, every week at church, in class, or at a Sunday school or church function, I wonder if the woman that I offended is present. Jen and I have gone through the entire class, past and present, and come up with a few candidates based on what we know. This has made for some interesting and odd situations.
For example, last fall, about a month after I was made aware of the allegation, the entire class was invited over to a couple's house for dinner and to watch a football game. Jen and I thought that the wife was a possible candidate. Not knowing if the wife was the accuser and not wanting to make her uncomfortable if she was, I called the husband. It went something like this:
Me: Hey, what's up?
Husband: Not much, what's up with you?
Me: Not much, by the way, does you wife think that I have sexually harassed her?
Husband: No, it was not her, but we have heard about that.
That last line infuriated me. I was glad that it was not his wife, but the fact that the unnamed woman was going around telling other people was ridiculous. I had been assured by the director that according to the accuser, she had only confided in the director. According to the director, the accuser wanted the director to know why they had left the Sunday school class. The director felt responsible to notify me due to the nature of the accusation.
Apparently the accuser did not feel comfortable coming to me and discussing the incident, but she felt comfortable telling others in the class about the incident. I was less than pleased. Sexual harassment is a very serious accusation. Especially when you are a leader in a couples Sunday school class.
That brings us to yesterday at church. No, I still do not know the identity of the accuser. But, I had an interaction with another possible candidate. In fact, the leading candidate in our eyes. We were dropping off Addy at her Sunday school class and I looked to the left and saw the candidate. She smiled at me, and then called me over to her. She asked me to look into another classroom to see if her son was crying. I checked on her son and he was fine. We said goodbye to each other and I walked back to Jen. My first words were "That was weird". That was my second interaction with that candidate since I learned of the accusation. After the first, I was convinced it was her. Now, I am not so sure.
Thankfully, I do not dwell on the accusation anymore. I have altered my behavior. No more random compliments and I definitely do not do anything crazy like touch someone's arm. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss the accusation with the unnamed woman. However, I do not think that will ever happen.
Needless to say, I was shocked by the accusation. I have no doubt that I have told a few of the women in our class that they looked nice on a particular day and I might have even touched their arm. So, guilty as charged. But, I was shocked by the accusation of sexual harassment based on that behavior. Sexual harassment takes many forms and means different things to different people. Meaning a behavior might be taken as sexual harassment by one person and not another. So, bottom line, I had made the unnamed woman uncomfortable by my behavior. I was sorry and wanted to apologize.
So far, I have been unable to do that. I do not know who to apologize to. The unnamed woman has not made herself known to me. So, every week at church, in class, or at a Sunday school or church function, I wonder if the woman that I offended is present. Jen and I have gone through the entire class, past and present, and come up with a few candidates based on what we know. This has made for some interesting and odd situations.
For example, last fall, about a month after I was made aware of the allegation, the entire class was invited over to a couple's house for dinner and to watch a football game. Jen and I thought that the wife was a possible candidate. Not knowing if the wife was the accuser and not wanting to make her uncomfortable if she was, I called the husband. It went something like this:
Me: Hey, what's up?
Husband: Not much, what's up with you?
Me: Not much, by the way, does you wife think that I have sexually harassed her?
Husband: No, it was not her, but we have heard about that.
That last line infuriated me. I was glad that it was not his wife, but the fact that the unnamed woman was going around telling other people was ridiculous. I had been assured by the director that according to the accuser, she had only confided in the director. According to the director, the accuser wanted the director to know why they had left the Sunday school class. The director felt responsible to notify me due to the nature of the accusation.
Apparently the accuser did not feel comfortable coming to me and discussing the incident, but she felt comfortable telling others in the class about the incident. I was less than pleased. Sexual harassment is a very serious accusation. Especially when you are a leader in a couples Sunday school class.
That brings us to yesterday at church. No, I still do not know the identity of the accuser. But, I had an interaction with another possible candidate. In fact, the leading candidate in our eyes. We were dropping off Addy at her Sunday school class and I looked to the left and saw the candidate. She smiled at me, and then called me over to her. She asked me to look into another classroom to see if her son was crying. I checked on her son and he was fine. We said goodbye to each other and I walked back to Jen. My first words were "That was weird". That was my second interaction with that candidate since I learned of the accusation. After the first, I was convinced it was her. Now, I am not so sure.
Thankfully, I do not dwell on the accusation anymore. I have altered my behavior. No more random compliments and I definitely do not do anything crazy like touch someone's arm. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss the accusation with the unnamed woman. However, I do not think that will ever happen.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
A day in Las Cruces
On our way back home from SoCal, we stopped in Las Cruces, NM. A place where my family has some history. My father went to high school in Las Cruces. My parents met in Las Cruces and both graduated from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces. I was born and attended elementary school there as well.
We arrived into town around noon. Ate green chili burgers for lunch and then checked into our hotel so that Addy could take a nap. I headed to the NMSU golf course. The place where my father won his conference championship and where I was introduced to golf. On the way to the course, I took a few pictures of the ZTA sorority house. The place where my parents were married.
After getting to the course, the first thing that I noticed was the beautiful new clubhouse. I was given a brief tour by one of the assistant pros. He showed me the hallway where they hung all of the plaques won by the NMSU golfers through the years. There on the wall was my father's NCAA All America plaque that he earned in 1973. Seeing that plaque again was very cool. His copy of the plaque was destroyed in a fire. I took some photos of the plaque and then went out to play the course.
The course was in great shape. I took a bunch of photos for my father so that he could see how the course has changed. It is hard to explain, but it was almost magical playing on that course again. The only way to make it better would have been to be playing with my father. I hope that we get to do that soon.
After picking up the family from the hotel, I drove to our old house. Lots of great memories in that house. Dinner was more green chili at Robertos. Then we took the kids to the White Sands National Monument. We spent a few hours in the sand that almost looks like snow. The kids played, Jen supervised, and I took pictures. By using the Camry as a tripod, the timer function on the camera, and sprints up the dune, we were able to get some good pictures of all four of us together. Austin took his first pictures with my big camera. He took some great shots of Jen and I. We stayed until after sunset and then drove back over the mountain to our hotel. The following morning, we started our drive back home.
It was great to be in a place that brought back so many great childhood memories, and at the same time to be making more with my family. A good way to end the trip.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
SoCal traffic & drivers
In the 600 square miles that make up Houston, there is a vast network of freeways. These freeways are designed to allow large numbers of vehicles to travel safely and efficiently throughout the area. However, in those 600 square miles, there are an estimated 2.4 million people. At times it seems like they are all driving on the freeways at the same time.
So, here in the Houston area we have a little traffic. The Katy, East, Southwest, Gulf, North, South, Northwest, Loop, and Eastex freeways all tend to get a little congested at times. I live down south and travel along the Gulf freeway almost every day. Luckily, I do not have to drive during the peak traffic times of the day. I rarely have to deal with real rush-hour levels of traffic. Maybe that is why SoCal traffic made such an impression on me.
Recently we spent about 9 days in the Southern California area. Los Angeles covers about 500 square miles and has an estimated population of 3.9 million people. However, the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area has an estimated population of 13 million people. While we were there we travelled on I-10, I-5, I-15, I-605, I-215, CA 91, CA 60, CA 55, and CA 101. They are all major freeways in the SoCal area. All of the freeways were a minimum of 3 lanes and some as many as 7 lanes in each direction. We also travelled at various times, as early as 6 AM and as late as 1 AM.
We encountered traffic every single time that we travelled on a freeway. By traffic, I do not mean quite a few cars running at the posted speed limit. I mean traffic to the point that the freeway comes to a complete stop for one reason or another. We only encountered one accident and one area of construction. Every other trip was just a matter of too many cars. It is amazing to be sitting on a freeway with 7 lanes in your direction and be stopped. Not by an accident or construction, but by congestion. So, the next time you are lamenting Houston traffic, believe me, it can be much worse.
Another thing about driving in SoCal. The drivers are rude. Every trip I felt like Mad Max. No one lets you switch lanes. In fact it seemed like they actively tried to not let you over. I had to forget my turn signal. The moment you turn it on, someone else will move to prevent you from moving over. My words are not able to do it justice. It was every person for themselves, and if I can screw you over in the process, I get bonus points. I was very glad to get back to Texas and our drivers.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Family, the good & the ugly
Jen and I are truly blessed when it comes to family. This trip has just reinforced that fact. We spent a couple of days staying with my brother. We did not grow up together, but you could not tell that now. We have a good relationship that continues to get better. We had a great time in Phoenix with Kenny, Cindy, & KC.
In SoCal we stayed with Jen's Uncle Phil and Aunt Sally. They put up with us for 9 nights. They provided meals, lodging, tickets to Disneyland, golf, all of the Mike's Hard lemonade that I could drink, and anything else that we needed. They made us feel welcome, their home was our home for the week.
While in SoCal, we spent some time with Jen's cousin Shawn, his wife Robin, and their daughter Sydney. Two days after we arrived, Shawn took Austin to Best Buy. Shawn picked up a few things that he wanted, and then he let Austin pick a game for himself. What a nice thing to do. Shawn then took Austin to his house and they played Xbox and hung out. Pretty cool. All of us got together on Saturday. Shawn and I played Halo 3 with Mike, Austin watched us get slaughtered, Jen and Robin talked like old friends, and the little ones napped. We ate dinner at CPK ( California Pizza Kitchen) and our money was not accepted there. Thanks again.
My Uncle John was gracious enough to invite me to play golf with him and his buddies in Palm Springs. We had a great time playing and catching up on life. John also helped me arrange for lodging on our return trip. He booked us reservations in Tucson, Las Cruces, and San Antonio. He then brought us the vouchers that we needed to get a discounted rate. Very cool.
Everyone was very friendly, generous, kind, and happy to see us.
Then we have my Uncle Bob. My dad has two brothers and a sister. My dad is the oldest, then came Aunt Joanne, Uncle Bob, and then Uncle John. At the beginning of the trip I emailed Uncle Bob and told him that we would be coming back through Tucson on Sunday the 12th. I said that we would like to see them and asked if they were available. Uncle Bob responded very quickly and said that yes, they would like to get together. We planned for dinner at a place close to our hotel at 5:30. Plans were reconfirmed later in the week.
Fast forward to that Sunday, we are in Tucson. It is 5:20 and we are leaving the hotel room. My phone dinged letting me know that I had a new mail message. I checked, and you guessed it, it was Uncle Bob. He said that they would not be able to make it to dinner, we will try to catch you later that evening.
Ok. Let me break this down.
1. He bailed on dinner by EMAIL. Not a phone call, not a text, not even an IM. What if email was not pushed straight to my phone? A little impersonal? You think?
2. 10 MINUTES before we planned on meeting. 10 minutes. Not a day, a half day, or even an hour. 10 minutes.
By email.
UN-FREAKING-BELIEVEABLE.
You can not make this stuff up.
In SoCal we stayed with Jen's Uncle Phil and Aunt Sally. They put up with us for 9 nights. They provided meals, lodging, tickets to Disneyland, golf, all of the Mike's Hard lemonade that I could drink, and anything else that we needed. They made us feel welcome, their home was our home for the week.
While in SoCal, we spent some time with Jen's cousin Shawn, his wife Robin, and their daughter Sydney. Two days after we arrived, Shawn took Austin to Best Buy. Shawn picked up a few things that he wanted, and then he let Austin pick a game for himself. What a nice thing to do. Shawn then took Austin to his house and they played Xbox and hung out. Pretty cool. All of us got together on Saturday. Shawn and I played Halo 3 with Mike, Austin watched us get slaughtered, Jen and Robin talked like old friends, and the little ones napped. We ate dinner at CPK ( California Pizza Kitchen) and our money was not accepted there. Thanks again.
My Uncle John was gracious enough to invite me to play golf with him and his buddies in Palm Springs. We had a great time playing and catching up on life. John also helped me arrange for lodging on our return trip. He booked us reservations in Tucson, Las Cruces, and San Antonio. He then brought us the vouchers that we needed to get a discounted rate. Very cool.
Everyone was very friendly, generous, kind, and happy to see us.
Then we have my Uncle Bob. My dad has two brothers and a sister. My dad is the oldest, then came Aunt Joanne, Uncle Bob, and then Uncle John. At the beginning of the trip I emailed Uncle Bob and told him that we would be coming back through Tucson on Sunday the 12th. I said that we would like to see them and asked if they were available. Uncle Bob responded very quickly and said that yes, they would like to get together. We planned for dinner at a place close to our hotel at 5:30. Plans were reconfirmed later in the week.
Fast forward to that Sunday, we are in Tucson. It is 5:20 and we are leaving the hotel room. My phone dinged letting me know that I had a new mail message. I checked, and you guessed it, it was Uncle Bob. He said that they would not be able to make it to dinner, we will try to catch you later that evening.
Ok. Let me break this down.
1. He bailed on dinner by EMAIL. Not a phone call, not a text, not even an IM. What if email was not pushed straight to my phone? A little impersonal? You think?
2. 10 MINUTES before we planned on meeting. 10 minutes. Not a day, a half day, or even an hour. 10 minutes.
By email.
UN-FREAKING-BELIEVEABLE.
You can not make this stuff up.
Friday, July 10, 2009
CA Adventure & friendship
The Pounds clan invaded southern California Monday afternoon. We spent the evening playing in Phil & Sally's pool. Keep away was the game of choice. I voted for "smear the queer". Jen & Becky were offended and Marv could not stop laughing.
The following day we met the Pounds at California Adventure, the other park at Disneyland Resort. All day was spent having a great time with great friends. Marvin and his family headed back to the Bay Area the next day.
After our brief visit with the Pounds, I started thinking about friendship. Marvin & I have been friends since my freshman year, 1988, at Texas Tech in Lubbuck. Our friendship was formed through long nights of studying and marathon sessions at the library. Ok, not exactly. Our friendship was forged with time. Marvin, Brian, and I spent about every waking moment together in Lubbuck. Playing video games, eating, going out, playing sports, working out, and on the rare occasion having a drink or 10 together.
On the surface it would appear that Marv and I had nothing in common. He was from a graduating class of 9 in the middle of NM. He grew up a cattle rancher, hard labor all of the time. I graduated with 600 and was not very experienced with hard labor.
Having fun together and drinking can sustain a friendship in college, but not forever. Marv and I have stayed friends for 21 years. More than half of our lives we have been friends. Other than Mike, whom I have know since his birth, Marv is my oldest friend. I believe that our friendship has been sustained because of our shared faith in Christ.
We do not live close together and have not lived in the same town since 1989. In spite of that we were the best man at each others weddings. To me, that speaks of God's plan. There is nothing logical about two people being basically best friends for life that only spent 9 months living close together.
Thanks Marv, looking forward to many more years of friendship.
The following day we met the Pounds at California Adventure, the other park at Disneyland Resort. All day was spent having a great time with great friends. Marvin and his family headed back to the Bay Area the next day.
After our brief visit with the Pounds, I started thinking about friendship. Marvin & I have been friends since my freshman year, 1988, at Texas Tech in Lubbuck. Our friendship was formed through long nights of studying and marathon sessions at the library. Ok, not exactly. Our friendship was forged with time. Marvin, Brian, and I spent about every waking moment together in Lubbuck. Playing video games, eating, going out, playing sports, working out, and on the rare occasion having a drink or 10 together.
On the surface it would appear that Marv and I had nothing in common. He was from a graduating class of 9 in the middle of NM. He grew up a cattle rancher, hard labor all of the time. I graduated with 600 and was not very experienced with hard labor.
Having fun together and drinking can sustain a friendship in college, but not forever. Marv and I have stayed friends for 21 years. More than half of our lives we have been friends. Other than Mike, whom I have know since his birth, Marv is my oldest friend. I believe that our friendship has been sustained because of our shared faith in Christ.
We do not live close together and have not lived in the same town since 1989. In spite of that we were the best man at each others weddings. To me, that speaks of God's plan. There is nothing logical about two people being basically best friends for life that only spent 9 months living close together.
Thanks Marv, looking forward to many more years of friendship.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Aquarium & Bubba Gump
Monday morning we headed to Long Beach to visit the Aquarium of California. Addy enjoyed seeing the "fishes". They had a shark tank and a huge manta ray. The jellyfish were cool as well. Overall, a decent aquarium but nothing amazing. I like the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi better.
One good thing is the location, right on the water in Long Beach. It is close to the Queen Mary 2, lots of shopping, and resturants. For lunch we decided not to eat aquarium food and headed across the street to the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. We chose to sit outside in the beautiful weather. We ordered garlic bread for an appetizer, Jen and I shared popcorn shrimp and Austin had the kids popcorn shrimp. The $5 garlic bread arrived and I knew we were in trouble. Literally 4 bites was about it. There were 2 pieces in the basket, each about 6 inches by 2 inches in size. Austin polishes off that much bread without even realizing it.
At that point I knew Jen and I did not order enough food. The food arrived and Austin's was in a paper shrimp boat. Nice presentation. Enough food for a small 4 year old girl. Our popcorn shrimp could be counted on 3 hands. 14 in all actually, on a bed of lettuce. We are used to the portions at the Flying Dutchman. I have no idea how many they serve because it has never been an issue. After feeding Addy, Jen and I ate the remaining little shrimps. Good flavor actually. Needless to say, dessert was needed. We had a chocolate chip cookie covered in ice cream and whip cream. An actual adult sized portion shockingly enough. The cookie was not warm, but oh well. And to think, all of that food for only $45. Heck of a deal.
One good thing is the location, right on the water in Long Beach. It is close to the Queen Mary 2, lots of shopping, and resturants. For lunch we decided not to eat aquarium food and headed across the street to the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. We chose to sit outside in the beautiful weather. We ordered garlic bread for an appetizer, Jen and I shared popcorn shrimp and Austin had the kids popcorn shrimp. The $5 garlic bread arrived and I knew we were in trouble. Literally 4 bites was about it. There were 2 pieces in the basket, each about 6 inches by 2 inches in size. Austin polishes off that much bread without even realizing it.
At that point I knew Jen and I did not order enough food. The food arrived and Austin's was in a paper shrimp boat. Nice presentation. Enough food for a small 4 year old girl. Our popcorn shrimp could be counted on 3 hands. 14 in all actually, on a bed of lettuce. We are used to the portions at the Flying Dutchman. I have no idea how many they serve because it has never been an issue. After feeding Addy, Jen and I ate the remaining little shrimps. Good flavor actually. Needless to say, dessert was needed. We had a chocolate chip cookie covered in ice cream and whip cream. An actual adult sized portion shockingly enough. The cookie was not warm, but oh well. And to think, all of that food for only $45. Heck of a deal.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Country Club life
Phil & Sally suggested that we go out for brunch before Phil & I played golf. Sounded like a good idea to me. When we arrived at the club, the first thing that I noticed was the entrance was blocked by a gate. I have been to my fair share of nice country clubs in Texas, and none of them have entrance gates that are kept closed during the day. River Oaks country club, Colonial, Glen Eagles, Stonebriar, to name a few, none of them keep the gates closed. No big deal, just interesting. Wonder if they are trying to keep people out or members in?
We proceeded into the main dining area which overlooks the golf course. The entire clubhouse is elevated over the course, so the views are great. Addy did not want eggs for breakfast, she ordered pancakes. Then Addy ate half of Jen's huevos rancheros and did not touch her pancakes. That child likes Mexican food.
We finished brunch and the family headed home and Phil and I headed to the car. We grabbed our shoes and clubs. We dropped the clubs at the
designated spot. Phil made a call letting someone know where our clubs were. We then went into the locker room where we put on our golf shoes. From there we went to the driving range where our clubs were loaded onto a cart waiting for us. We hit a few balls, and I should have known it was going to be a challenging day. I hit everything on the range just about perfect. Five irons were flying right at the flags and the drives were long and straight. I left all of the straight drives on the range.
I spent the front 9 in the trees and only after some good recovery shots and long par putts did I salvage a decent score. The back nine was more consistent. However, two bad holes left me needing to birdie 18 to break 80. I made a 10 footer to end the round on a positive note. Thanks Phil for the opportunity to play Victoria Club.
Throughout the day, all of the staff at Victoria Club were very polite and friendly. They even had a "proper" cart girl. The course was in great shape. The greens were fast and the rough was up. The club was hosting US Senior Open qualifying the next day, and did not want the scores to be too low.
It was a good day. It reminded me of how spoiled I was to play at country clubs thoughout high school and college. At the time, I did not know or really appreciate how lucky I was. Big thanks to mom and dad for providing me with that opportunity.
Mobile Blogging from here.
We proceeded into the main dining area which overlooks the golf course. The entire clubhouse is elevated over the course, so the views are great. Addy did not want eggs for breakfast, she ordered pancakes. Then Addy ate half of Jen's huevos rancheros and did not touch her pancakes. That child likes Mexican food.
We finished brunch and the family headed home and Phil and I headed to the car. We grabbed our shoes and clubs. We dropped the clubs at the
designated spot. Phil made a call letting someone know where our clubs were. We then went into the locker room where we put on our golf shoes. From there we went to the driving range where our clubs were loaded onto a cart waiting for us. We hit a few balls, and I should have known it was going to be a challenging day. I hit everything on the range just about perfect. Five irons were flying right at the flags and the drives were long and straight. I left all of the straight drives on the range.
I spent the front 9 in the trees and only after some good recovery shots and long par putts did I salvage a decent score. The back nine was more consistent. However, two bad holes left me needing to birdie 18 to break 80. I made a 10 footer to end the round on a positive note. Thanks Phil for the opportunity to play Victoria Club.
Throughout the day, all of the staff at Victoria Club were very polite and friendly. They even had a "proper" cart girl. The course was in great shape. The greens were fast and the rough was up. The club was hosting US Senior Open qualifying the next day, and did not want the scores to be too low.
It was a good day. It reminded me of how spoiled I was to play at country clubs thoughout high school and college. At the time, I did not know or really appreciate how lucky I was. Big thanks to mom and dad for providing me with that opportunity.
Mobile Blogging from here.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
4th of July party, Smith style
The Cali Smith's throw what I would consider to be a large 4th of July party. The preparations for the party began awhile before we arrived. Phil and Sally have a great backyard for a party. A large pool surrounded by paver stones with a large multi-level wood deck off the backside of the pool. There are numerous seating areas with tables and chairs with umbrellas to provide shade. Perfect for a summer party.
Jen helped with the food preparation and decorating as you would expect. I helped set up the chairs and various tables. Then for the big job, getting the drinks ready. I used a two wheel dolly to get the water, beer, and soft drinks from the garage to the backyard. Two dolly trips for water, 5 cases each trip. Three trips for beer, and two trips for soft drinks. I converted the dolly into a 4 wheeled cart to bring the 240 pounds of ice to the backyard. Then I filled up the 6 huge tubs with the drinks and ice. I put the Mike's Hard lemonade and the Guiness in the outdoor refrigerator so that Shawn and I would have quick access to our drinks of choice.
Then it was time for the food. The women had prepared just about anything you could think of including a great baked bean dish. Phil & Gene fried two turkeys and grilled 3 large pork loins. The turkey was good
but the pork was excellent.
In all about 50 people came to the party, not including family. I appeared that everyone had a good time. They definitely had enough to eat and drink. Later today we will begin the clean-up process, after breakfast and golf at the country club. It's a tough life, I know.
Jen helped with the food preparation and decorating as you would expect. I helped set up the chairs and various tables. Then for the big job, getting the drinks ready. I used a two wheel dolly to get the water, beer, and soft drinks from the garage to the backyard. Two dolly trips for water, 5 cases each trip. Three trips for beer, and two trips for soft drinks. I converted the dolly into a 4 wheeled cart to bring the 240 pounds of ice to the backyard. Then I filled up the 6 huge tubs with the drinks and ice. I put the Mike's Hard lemonade and the Guiness in the outdoor refrigerator so that Shawn and I would have quick access to our drinks of choice.
Then it was time for the food. The women had prepared just about anything you could think of including a great baked bean dish. Phil & Gene fried two turkeys and grilled 3 large pork loins. The turkey was good
but the pork was excellent.
In all about 50 people came to the party, not including family. I appeared that everyone had a good time. They definitely had enough to eat and drink. Later today we will begin the clean-up process, after breakfast and golf at the country club. It's a tough life, I know.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
We made it to Cali
I passed out early last night, and woke up late this morning. Thanks Jen.
We left Mesa at 8:15 am and headed west. There were a lot of cars and big rigs on the freeway. Rigs going 60 in the right lane and cars going 80 in the left. Always makes life interesting. Felt like a NASCAR race at a superspeedway. If you got out of the "draft", the left lane, you might get shuffled back a few miles in the right. Huge packs of cars driving 10 feet from each other. At least we did not see the big one that racing fans love, the huge crash.
We stopped for lunch in Palm Springs. At possibly the busiest fast food place on the planet. In-n-out Burger in Palm Springs was unbelieveable. I am a huge fan of their food, Jen tolerates it. Jen is amazed that a place that only sells 4 items is that busy. They only sell burgers, fries, shakes, and other drinks. But they sell a bunch of each. We ordered, and were waiting for a table. I saw a table about to open and Austin walked over to grab it. Austin was about to sit down, but was pushed out of the way by a woman wearing scrubs. This left me in a difficult situation. The woman did not shove him or hurt him, that would have made
my decision much easier. She just slightly pushed/ bumped into him as she slid in the table as he was trying to. Should I confront her and create
a scene in front of about 100 people? I decided to take the high road and wait for another table. I reaffirmed Austin that it was not his fault. Some people are just rude.
By the way, Palm Springs is HOT! I felt like I was in an oven walking on the blacktop to and from the burger joint.
We continued on and made it to Riverside. Austin was in the just redone pool in minutes. We had a nice evening with Phil, Sally, Shawn, Robin, Sydney, and another couple. Now we will help Phil and Sally get ready for the big 4th of July party at their house. Should be fun.
We left Mesa at 8:15 am and headed west. There were a lot of cars and big rigs on the freeway. Rigs going 60 in the right lane and cars going 80 in the left. Always makes life interesting. Felt like a NASCAR race at a superspeedway. If you got out of the "draft", the left lane, you might get shuffled back a few miles in the right. Huge packs of cars driving 10 feet from each other. At least we did not see the big one that racing fans love, the huge crash.
We stopped for lunch in Palm Springs. At possibly the busiest fast food place on the planet. In-n-out Burger in Palm Springs was unbelieveable. I am a huge fan of their food, Jen tolerates it. Jen is amazed that a place that only sells 4 items is that busy. They only sell burgers, fries, shakes, and other drinks. But they sell a bunch of each. We ordered, and were waiting for a table. I saw a table about to open and Austin walked over to grab it. Austin was about to sit down, but was pushed out of the way by a woman wearing scrubs. This left me in a difficult situation. The woman did not shove him or hurt him, that would have made
my decision much easier. She just slightly pushed/ bumped into him as she slid in the table as he was trying to. Should I confront her and create
a scene in front of about 100 people? I decided to take the high road and wait for another table. I reaffirmed Austin that it was not his fault. Some people are just rude.
By the way, Palm Springs is HOT! I felt like I was in an oven walking on the blacktop to and from the burger joint.
We continued on and made it to Riverside. Austin was in the just redone pool in minutes. We had a nice evening with Phil, Sally, Shawn, Robin, Sydney, and another couple. Now we will help Phil and Sally get ready for the big 4th of July party at their house. Should be fun.
Friday, July 3, 2009
iPhone 3GS, Africa, and other random tidbits
I am constantly amazed by technology. I think that you all know that I am very fond of my iPhone. So far on this trip I have used it to read & send email, take pictures and upload them to Flickr, check the weather, surf the web, post to this blog, utilize google maps, check Twitter, read the Bible, send & receive text messages, log expenses, check Facebook, and listen to Marley & Me on audiobook, among other things.
Today, for the first time I used it to shoot video, edit that video, compress that video, encode that video, and then upload the video to Youtube. Absolutely amazing. All of the videos can be found here. Please check them out and leave some comments.
Today, I helped Kenny pick up a golf cart, washer, & dryer, load them on his trailer and transport them to his boss's house. We came to realize that a Ford F-250 crew cab long bed towing a 16 foot trailer is difficult to maneuver in tight spaces.
We spent the afternoon in the pool. Austin wanted to play "monkey in the middle", which was called "keep away" when I was growing up. So, that is what we did for about an hour. Austin really enjoyed taking the splash balls and flinging them in our faces as we tried to get the ball. Big fun for the boy.
Now for Africa. Cindy, my sister-in-law, told Jen and I about one of her and Kenny's friends who is a medical doctor. He travels to Africa every other year to work for a month providing medical care. Stories of those that travel on missions always amaze me. I expressed this amazement and then I was informed that I did not have any skills that could be used on a mission trip. At face value, that sounded a little harsh. What was meant was that I was not a doctor, a carpenter, a nurse, a social worker, etc... I began to think, what skills do I have that could be used? It is not like I can write tickets, make arrests, or perform other police related activities while on a mission trip. That is what I am trained to do, be a patrol officer and train others to do the same. In my thinking I did not have any revelations. But, I think it is always a good idea to occasionally access yourself and the skills that you have that are useful.
Today, for the first time I used it to shoot video, edit that video, compress that video, encode that video, and then upload the video to Youtube. Absolutely amazing. All of the videos can be found here. Please check them out and leave some comments.
Today, I helped Kenny pick up a golf cart, washer, & dryer, load them on his trailer and transport them to his boss's house. We came to realize that a Ford F-250 crew cab long bed towing a 16 foot trailer is difficult to maneuver in tight spaces.
We spent the afternoon in the pool. Austin wanted to play "monkey in the middle", which was called "keep away" when I was growing up. So, that is what we did for about an hour. Austin really enjoyed taking the splash balls and flinging them in our faces as we tried to get the ball. Big fun for the boy.
Now for Africa. Cindy, my sister-in-law, told Jen and I about one of her and Kenny's friends who is a medical doctor. He travels to Africa every other year to work for a month providing medical care. Stories of those that travel on missions always amaze me. I expressed this amazement and then I was informed that I did not have any skills that could be used on a mission trip. At face value, that sounded a little harsh. What was meant was that I was not a doctor, a carpenter, a nurse, a social worker, etc... I began to think, what skills do I have that could be used? It is not like I can write tickets, make arrests, or perform other police related activities while on a mission trip. That is what I am trained to do, be a patrol officer and train others to do the same. In my thinking I did not have any revelations. But, I think it is always a good idea to occasionally access yourself and the skills that you have that are useful.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Houston to Mesa, AZ
Our journey from Houston to Mesa took 22 hours and we covered 1200 miles. I drove between 75 and 85 miles per hour and the Camry averaged 33.2 miles per gallon. Not bad. We slept in the car for three hours in a "parking area" according to the sign, which was a few miles west of Las Cruces. We stopped to eat twice and stopped at numerous other rest areas. Along the way we experienced a few interesting things.
Our first stop for gas was in Ozona, TX. First, a little info, Ozona is the only incorporated town in Crockett County. It has a population of 3500, 75% of which are white. It is hunting town on the edge of the Texas Hill country.
I finished pumping the gas and went into the store to buy a drink and use the restroom. I put the drink on the counter and the clerk looked up at me. She said, "You are not from around here are you?" I am not sure what gave me away? Having all of my teeth?Speaking without a strong Texas accent? Not wearing wranglers and boots? Not buying pork skins, dip, and a six pack? I said, you are correct, I am not from around here. She responded, "You military"? "No ma'am." "Well, what brings you to our little town?" I said a vacation. She asked to where. I said California. She then said "at least you are not working, yet", and winked at me. Bizzaro.
Ten minutes outside of Ostrango, flashing red and blue lights filled my rearview mirror. I promptly pulled over and waited for the State Trooper. He said I was going 83 in a 65. I showed him my driver's license and my police ID. He wrote me a warning so that he would get credit for the stop and warned me that there were 4 more troopers between there and Fort Stockton. He said they were all rookies and might write me a ticket. I said thanks for the tip and kept it at 75 all the way to Fort Stockton.
After our late night nap, we drove on to Deming, NM. We stopped at Austin's favorite fast food place, McDonalds. We had a nice breakfast and then Austin and I went to the restroom. Now, without being too graphic, the stench that greeted us upon opening the door was unbelievable. The two stalls were occupied, so the malodorous crime was in progress. Austin and I held our breaths, and rushed though our business. Jen then took Addy to the restroom. She found a similar odor, apparently caused by women throwing their soiled toliet paper on the floor rather than flushing it. Outstanding. So, while we can recommend the food at the Deming McDonalds. We would avoid the restrooms like we would avoid Ebola, staph, or Scientologists.
I took a number of photos along the way and uploaded them to my Flickr feed. Search for will7079 on Flickr to find them.
Our first stop for gas was in Ozona, TX. First, a little info, Ozona is the only incorporated town in Crockett County. It has a population of 3500, 75% of which are white. It is hunting town on the edge of the Texas Hill country.
I finished pumping the gas and went into the store to buy a drink and use the restroom. I put the drink on the counter and the clerk looked up at me. She said, "You are not from around here are you?" I am not sure what gave me away? Having all of my teeth?Speaking without a strong Texas accent? Not wearing wranglers and boots? Not buying pork skins, dip, and a six pack? I said, you are correct, I am not from around here. She responded, "You military"? "No ma'am." "Well, what brings you to our little town?" I said a vacation. She asked to where. I said California. She then said "at least you are not working, yet", and winked at me. Bizzaro.
Ten minutes outside of Ostrango, flashing red and blue lights filled my rearview mirror. I promptly pulled over and waited for the State Trooper. He said I was going 83 in a 65. I showed him my driver's license and my police ID. He wrote me a warning so that he would get credit for the stop and warned me that there were 4 more troopers between there and Fort Stockton. He said they were all rookies and might write me a ticket. I said thanks for the tip and kept it at 75 all the way to Fort Stockton.
After our late night nap, we drove on to Deming, NM. We stopped at Austin's favorite fast food place, McDonalds. We had a nice breakfast and then Austin and I went to the restroom. Now, without being too graphic, the stench that greeted us upon opening the door was unbelievable. The two stalls were occupied, so the malodorous crime was in progress. Austin and I held our breaths, and rushed though our business. Jen then took Addy to the restroom. She found a similar odor, apparently caused by women throwing their soiled toliet paper on the floor rather than flushing it. Outstanding. So, while we can recommend the food at the Deming McDonalds. We would avoid the restrooms like we would avoid Ebola, staph, or Scientologists.
I took a number of photos along the way and uploaded them to my Flickr feed. Search for will7079 on Flickr to find them.
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